News. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Prince Philip and Penny Knatchbull's Friendship, 'Outer Banks' Season 3 Arrives in February, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Getty28th March 1980: Lord and Lady Romsey in the grounds of Broadland, showing the house in the background. Born Penelope Meredith Mary Knatchbull (are you even a member of English high society if you dont have a million names? Penny isnt exactly a super-public figure, but shes been a close friend of the royal family for years. And they were often seen chilling at events: These two were so close, in fact, that Penny was one of only 30 mourners at Philips funeral: And she was also one of the mourners at the Queens funeral: According to reports from The Sun, The Crowns fifth season will showcase Prince Philip in intimate scenes with Penny. James Hockaday and Elizabeth Atkin Thursday 10 Nov 2022 5:00 pm. He trusted her implicitly and she adored him. Knatchbull was one of only 30 people invited to the Duke of Edinburghs funeral, according to The Radio Times. Penelope Meredith Mary Knatchbull - Countess Mountbatten of Burma - is a friend of the British Royal Family who had a particularly close relationship with Prince Philip. Netflix are not interested in peoples feelings., While Penny Knatchbull, now 69, has not addressed the portrayal herself, a close friend reportedly told The Telegraph before the new season aired, This is indeed an ill-judged, unnecessarily unsympathetic, and unfortunate decision.. Although Prince Philip was 32 years Knatchbull's senior, she soon became known as Prince Philip's "keeper of secrets" in British tabloids. Powered by. Penny Knatchbull Was Prince Phillip's Best Friend. Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. If Philip had been looking down on them, he surely would have been smiling too. Her husband Norton Knatchbull is Philip's godson and a grandson of Philip's uncle, Louis Mountbatten (per iNews). She has also been known as Lady Romsey and Lady Brabourne, as well as the High Steward of Romsey. In the first episode of season 4, Lord Mountbatten was blown up on a fishing boat by the Irish Republican Army (the IRA). And I thought it was very comparable to the kind of relationship he had with Penny., Though Knatchbull has never spoken publicly about Philip, Bedell Smith notes that Sacha Abercorn attempted to put rumors to rest. But it was after Pennys five-year-old daughter Leonora died of kidney cancer in 1991 that Philip really began to take her under his wing. "Philip always was a flirt," his biographer Ingrid Seward told The Sun. But the two have continued to have a presence in each other's lives. Per Yahoo! To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. For an example of how ubiquitous Knatchbull's presence in royal events is, just look to Philip's funeral. She did say at one point that they had a very close friendship, but it had everything to do with ideas, recalls Bedell Smith. However, The Crown gets the timeline of Philip and Knatchbulls friendship right, according to Sewards book. If she had been hurt by rumours of supposed dalliances, she would never let on., Philip himself would simply laugh off any suggestion of impropriety. Only a handful of locations remain open, and the chain's future was in serious doubt as of 2021. He told journalist Jeremy Paxman: Every time I talk to a woman they say Ive been to bed with her. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now. He is a grandson of Lord. Speculation generated by The Crown that Knatchbull had an affair with the Duke of Edinburgh is just that; there is no proof of a romantic or sexual entanglement. James Crawford-Smith 11/9/2022. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Penny returned to the Royal Windsor Horse Show last month without her decades-long comp-anion for the first time. So how the hell could I get away with anything like that?". She and Prince Philip reportedly forged a connection over their mutual love for the outdoors and horses. When they did tie the knot, with Prince Charles as best man, they inherited Mountbattens 18th-century, 60-room Broadlands estate near Romsey, Hants, where Charles and Di would spend part of their honeymoon two years later. Penelope Knatchbull nicknamed Penny is one of the closest friends of the royal family. The full blossoming of friendship between the prince and Knatchbull came in 1991. While not among the nobility, the Eastwoods did have a claim to a certain position in British culture. The Sun repeated rumors that the two old friends were estranged after a confidante of Charles put it in his ear that Penelope and Philip were having an affair. The royal family attended, and Prince Charles, the groom's second cousin, even served as best man. Philip and Penny, who is 32 years younger than the late Duke of Edinburgh, are said to have first met in 1975 when she became engaged to Norton Knatchbull. Its absolutely cuckoo.. They were even spotted dancing together at the Royal Yacht Squadron Ball during one Cowes Week. She was the only non-family member at Philips small, Covid-restricted funeral, except for his personal secretary. In 1979, five years after first meeting Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, Penelope Eastwood became Penelope Knatchbull when she married Norton Knatchbull, Philip's godson and King Charles III's second cousin, according toHarper's Bazaar. The relationship between the First Lord Mountbatten and Philip featured prominently in a previous season of The Crown.. There was never any question she would leave Broadlands, where every day she visits the tall stone monument, about 100 yards from the house, which stands above her daughter Leonoras grave. "This is cruel rubbish," Queen Elizabeth II's former press secretary Dickie Arbiter said of the storyline (per The Sun). Ad Choices. And as usual, the truth is slightly more complicated. Devastated by this horror, Penny and Norton decided to postpone their wedding for two months. Carriage driving is a sport where one driver steers a carriage drawn by one, two, or four horses, with three tests of skill and speed. Shes lost her best friend, Express reported. Their marriage gave her the title of Lady Romsey, later becoming The Lady Brabourne in 2017, and she has now inherited the title of Countess Mountbatten of Burma. A family friend said: Its very unusual to be given away by someone else at your wedding, even if it is by the Prince of Wales. In May last year, tattooed Nicholas, 40, a music producer and gardener, married Ambre Pouzet, a French former fire-eating mermaid performer. It was only when he feared he would be cut off from the familys 100million fortune that he checked into rehab and kicked his habits. There may be no evidence for rumors that Penelope Knatchbull and Prince Philip carried on an affair, but it is a matter of public record that Penelope's own marriage was marred by infidelity. She and the duke also both shared a boisterous sense of humour, according to Ingrid. She was seen standing behind the Queen, broad grins on both their faces. By coincidence, Leonora shared the same birthday as Uncle Dickie. One source said: He was a tremendous support during a time of unimaginable grief.. Penny Eastwood was the daughter of a very rich meat trader, the founder of the Angus Steakhouse chain, and married Norton Knatchbull, a cousin of Prince Charles and godson of Prince Philip - in 1979 In June 1991, Diana was photographed with Leonora at the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Color, a celebration that marks the British monarch's birthday. One source said: He was a tremendous support during a time of unimaginable grief.. More recently, she spends time with Philip at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate and is credited with persuading him to give up his driving license after his 2019 accident. One source said at the time: Not for a moment would Penny allow her husbands departure to interrupt the smooth running of the estate.. Soon after the Knatchbulls were married, Penny became a fixture in royal circles, attending all the prime royal events and weddings. For other inquiries, Contact Us. The makers of The Crown believe it is a relationship worthy of exploring, and casting a veteran actor like Natascha [McElhone] is a reflection of how high-profile the role is. It was even rumoured Prince Charles had cut off his friendship with Penny after someone close to him shared their suspicion that his father was having an affair with her. Her father, Reginald Eastwood, founded the Angus Steakhouse chain, as Nicholas Davies writes in his 2000 Queen Elizabeth biography, "Beyond Palace Doors.". Carriage driving remained a cornerstone of their friendship. Norton is also the grandson of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Philip's uncle, notes Newsweek. They were even spotted dancing together at the Royal Yacht Squadron Ball during one Cowes Week. Jeannie, as she is known, is the sister of former Bahamas Attorney General Sean McWeeney. Philip, though, was the right consort for Elizabeth when they married, and they have stayed in love ever since, despite going through various ups and downs throughout their . In 2010, according to Tatler, Norton Knatchbull left his wife and his family home of Broadlands to live with his mistress, Lady Nuttall, in the Bahamas. In the years that followed, Knatchbull and Romsey remained close friends with Charleseven offering to speak out in his defense after Andrew Morton published his infamous Princess Diana tell-all, according to Bedell Smith. It may be that she harbored suspicions or resentments about the nature of Prince Philip's friendship with Penelope Knatchbull, or that she was upset by other rumors of infidelity during their long marriage. Philip says he thought that Charles . The revelations that have leaked from Prince Harrys memoir, Palace Insiders Say Prince William Is Already Furious About Prince Harrys Memoir Leaks, Prince Harry alleges Prince William attacked him over Meghan Markle in a new excerpt from. It traded hands among the nobility for centuries until Mountbatten acquired it by marriage. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Prince Philip and Penny riding motorbikes in 2006. Although Her Majestyand probably many of us viewersfirst suspects him of having a romantic affair, Pryce's Philip assures her that his and Lady Penny's relationship is . Have you ever stopped to think that for years, I have never moved anywhere without a policeman accompanying me? There was never any question she would leave Broadlands, where every day she visits the tall stone monument, about 100 yards from the house, which stands above her daughter Leonoras grave. Prince Philip, officially opened and was shown round the new art, drama and dance facilities at the further education college which offers up to 2,000 courses. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. She is . She was a keeper not only of his secrets but those of the family.. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we love. Before you start side-eying, Penny was also photographed a ton with Queen Elizabeth II. Nicholas's first child was born in June 2022. It was even rumoured Prince Charles had cut off his friendship with Penny after someone close to him shared their suspicion that his father was having an affair with her. In the Netflix series, "The Crown," Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were the epitome of a perfect, at least for the world. During the 1990s . The house, which formerly belonged to Lord Mountbatten, is to be re-opened to the public. In that time, her father's chain was sold, and it's traded owners over the decades. She remained a close companion to Philip for his whole life. With Philip and Penny, who was previously known as Lady Romsey then Lady Brabourne, it was a meeting of the minds. Coming just weeks after the nation laid Her Majesty to rest next to Prince Philip, this is very distasteful and, quite frankly, cruel rubbish, he told the publication. Over the years, Knatchbull has been a guest of the familys at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, appeared with Philip at public events, and been photographed on many an outdoor occasion with the duke. Three weeks after the accident, which Philip blamed on him being blinded by the low winter sun, it was announced he had stopped driving. Their companionship continued for years, with Lady Penny seen with Prince Philip and the Queen at Sandringham, horse shows, and other royal events. The makers of The. Apparently, the intimate scenes involve touching hands as he divulges details of his marriage and well actively see them pursuing an affair.. The grandson of Lord Louis Mountbatten, Lord Romsey, marries Penelope Eastwood at Romsey Abbey on October 20, 1979. The Queens former press secretary Dickie Arbiter told the Sun: This is cruel rubbish.. When Philip was involved in a car accident near the Queens Norfolk retreat of Sandringham in January 2019, Her Majesty dispatched Penny to encourage the duke to surrender his drivers licence. They were even spotted dancing together at the Royal Yacht Squadron Ball during one Cowes Week. Either way, the Queen and Penny remained close even after Philips death. Penelope Knatchbull, known as Penny, is the Countess Mountbatten of Burma, and she met the royal family at a polo match in 1975 when she was 20 years old. Philip, of course, was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Restaurant critics from the Telegraph to The Guardian have taken shots at Angus Steak House's reputation. Shes lost her best friend., The Crowns Princess Diana Debuts Her Revenge Dress, Everything You Need to Know About The Crowns New Season, Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce on Channeling Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Recreating Princess Dianas Prescient 90s Fashion, The Crown Season 5 Is a Compelling Prelude to Tragedy, What Happened When Fake Charles Met Real Camilla, From the Archive: Dodis Life in the Fast Lane, Discover More Real-Life Royal Scandals With VFs Dynasty Podcast, 2023 Cond Nast. Penny continued to visit Philip until he died on April 9. Prince Philip and Penny Knatchbull go way back, having first met each other at a polo match in Great Windsor Park in 1974. The truth is that Penny was a long-time friend of the whole family. She was godmother to Alexandra Knatchbull, not Leonora, as the show depicts. As The Crown shows, their youngest, Leonora, died of kidney cancer at age 6. Penny continued to visit Philip until he died on April 9. News, that was the year Knatchbull's daughter Leonora died of cancer. She studied in Switzerland and the London School of Economics, according to The Sun. For other inquiries Contact Us. Her marriage troubles came on top of worry about their son, Nicholas, who was a year above Prince William at Eton, and had spent years hooked on crack cocaine and heroin. She also noted that the queen was sufficiently aware and presumably comfortable with her husband's flirtatious tendencies to joke about it. And often he was accompanied by a neighbor, a woman who was quite a lot younger, who he had taught to carriage drive. Penelope Knatchbull had a long-term friendship with Prince Philip. It was even rumoured Prince Charles had cut off his friendship with Penny after someone close to him shared their suspicion that his father was having an affair with her. Penelope Knatchbull's constant presence at Prince Philip's side from the 1990s on was almost bound to excite rumors.